By Ali Ikhwan 
By The Editorial Board
March 1, 2026
The Nightingale landscape is undergoing a significant transition. Beginning March 1, 2026, Teo Popescu officially assumes the mantle of Managing Editor for the Data Visualization Society’s flagship publication. Popescu succeeds Will Careri, who concludes a highly impactful two-year tenure as the publication’s leader. This changing of the guard marks not only a shift in leadership but also a celebration of the growth, reach, and intellectual rigor that has come to define Nightingale within the global data visualization community.
The Succession: A Legacy of Growth
The transition from Careri to Popescu represents a commitment to continuity and evolution. Under Careri’s stewardship, which spanned from 2024 to 2026, Nightingale saw a marked expansion in both its contributor base and its thematic breadth.
Careri’s path to the managing editor’s chair was organic. Joining the team in 2022 as a contributing writer, he quickly distinguished himself through a keen ability to bridge the gap between technical data analysis and human-centric storytelling. His articles, such as "Designing for Neurodivergent Audiences" and "The Visual Evolution of the Tommy Westphall Universe," remain among the most widely read and shared pieces in the journal’s history. These articles exemplify the Nightingale mission: to democratize data literacy and explore how visualization affects the human experience.
During his tenure as Managing Editor, Careri oversaw a period of prolific output. He worked closely with nearly 150 unique contributors, facilitating the publication of over 200 articles. His leadership also extended into the physical realm, as he played a critical role in the development of three major print issues of Nightingale: "Guidelines," "Emotion," and "Nature." As he steps down from his daily operational duties, Careri plans to maintain his relationship with the journal, transitioning into a role as an active editor and contributor, ensuring that his institutional knowledge remains a resource for the team.
A Chronology of Editorial Excellence
To understand the significance of this leadership change, one must look at the trajectory of Nightingale over the last four years.
- 2022: Will Careri joins the editorial team, bringing a fresh perspective on accessibility and pop-culture data analysis.
- 2024: Careri is promoted to Managing Editor, beginning a two-year mandate focused on scaling the platform’s operations and refining its editorial voice. Simultaneously, Teo Popescu joins the team as Content Editor, playing a pivotal role in the curation and production of the print editions, most notably "Issue 5: Nature."
- 2025: While continuing her work in the field, Popescu launches Control F, a data journalism podcast that explores the intersection of research, algorithms, and societal assumptions.
- March 2026: The official transition date. Popescu steps into the role of Managing Editor, signaling a new era for the publication.
This timeline reflects a strategic pipeline within the Data Visualization Society, where talent is nurtured from within to ensure that the editorial vision remains consistent even as leadership evolves.
The New Editor: Teo Popescu’s Professional Profile
Teo Popescu brings a wealth of experience to the Managing Editor role, characterized by a deep-seated commitment to journalistic integrity and visual communication. Currently serving as the Design, Graphics, and Data Editor at KUOW Public Radio in Seattle, Popescu has spent her career pushing the boundaries of how data is presented in newsrooms.
Her work at KUOW is illustrative of her approach to data. During the first three months of the Trump administration, she spearheaded the development and maintenance of the station’s "Trump legal tracker," a complex project that required both high-level data management and accessible visualization. Her reporting on ICE arrest data in Washington state and her collaboration with ProPublica on investigations into the misuse of shelter funds demonstrate her ability to use data as a tool for public accountability.
Beyond her newsroom work, Popescu is an educator, holding teaching positions at both UC Berkeley and the University of Washington. Her pedagogical work focuses on multimedia and graphics journalism, ensuring that the next generation of data communicators understands the ethical and technical responsibilities inherent in their craft.
Her recent work on Control F—the podcast she co-hosts—further highlights her communication style. By "searching" through research and algorithms to explain how the world works, she has demonstrated an aptitude for making dense, technical subjects digestible for a broad audience—a skill set that is essential for the future of Nightingale.
Official Responses and Vision for the Future
In her first statement as Managing Editor, Popescu expressed both humility and excitement regarding her new responsibilities.
"I’m excited to come back to the Nightingale community," Popescu said. "It’s an honor to come back in this way—to take up the mantle Will leaves behind. I’m excited to get to know everyone better and continue to foster a sense of community. I hope that with every article we publish, the love for our craft is evident on the page. It’s what keeps me coming back, and I hope it helps sustain you in these times, too."
This emphasis on "community" and "love for the craft" is a cornerstone of the Nightingale identity. The editorial team, which includes Alejandra Arevalo and Brian Cort, has indicated that they intend to build upon the momentum generated by Careri.
Implications for the Data Visualization Society
The appointment of Popescu as Managing Editor arrives at a pivotal time for the data visualization field. As artificial intelligence and automated chart-making tools become more prevalent, the role of human-centered, context-heavy journalism becomes increasingly vital.
The transition implies several key shifts for the publication:
- Refined Editorial Rigor: With Popescu’s background in high-stakes investigative journalism, readers can expect a sharper focus on the intersection of data ethics and visual storytelling.
- Expanded Multimedia Integration: Drawing on her experience with Control F, it is likely that Nightingale will continue to experiment with non-textual formats, potentially integrating audio and interactive elements into the publication’s standard editorial workflow.
- Educational Outreach: Given her teaching roles, Popescu is well-positioned to expand the publication’s role as an educational resource, potentially offering more deep-dives into the methodology and "behind-the-scenes" processes of data visualization.
- Strengthened Institutional Ties: By maintaining Careri as a contributor and editor, the organization avoids the "brain drain" that often accompanies leadership changes in volunteer-driven or society-based publications.
As the Data Visualization Society continues to grow, Nightingale remains its most visible and influential voice. With a proven editorial team and a clear, human-centric vision for the future, the publication is well-positioned to navigate the complexities of an increasingly data-saturated world.
For those wishing to reach the editorial team, inquiries can be directed to the team at [email protected]. As the journal looks toward the remainder of 2026 and beyond, the message from the leadership is clear: the craft of data visualization is not just about the numbers—it is about the people, the stories, and the community that gives those numbers meaning.
Muslim 
Sagoh 
Reynand Wu 